Ryne Sandberg to manage Philadelphia Phillies' Triple-A affiliate
After nearly 20 years of service with the Chicago Cubs organization, Ryne Sandberg has moved on.
According to a report confirmed by ESPN.com on Monday 15 November, the Hall of Fame second baseman has joined the Philadelphia Phillies franchise, signing on as the manager of their Triple-A International League club, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
The disgruntled Sandberg, who spent the majority of his 16-year playing career in a Cubs uniform, had been biding his time as a minor league coach with the organization. However, as a potential candidate for Chicago’s vacant managerial position, Sandberg bolted
from the organization after he learned that the Cubs had instead chosen Mike Quade to helm the squad.
"I spent the four years in the minor leagues to manage at the major league level, and that’s where my heart is and that’s what my next step is. That’s where I look next. So I’ll take it a step at a time and see if there’s another opportunity out there and go
from there," the 10-time All-Star said shortly after Quade’s hiring last month.
Apparently, the Phillies offered Sandberg the opportunity that he was seeking, as the IronPigs represent the organization’s top minor league affiliate. Still, it remains to be seen what the retirement timeline is for the Philadelphia’s current manager, 66-year-old
Charlie Manuel. That means that Sandberg will likely have to play the waiting game once again.
In his managerial tenure with the Cubs, it became apparent that Sandberg had a knack for winning. He spent four seasons as a minor league manager with the organization, netting Pacific Coast League manager of the year honours in 2010 for his work with the Iowa
Cubs. Last year, Sandberg led the squad to an 82-62 record, tied atop the league’s Northern Division.
Although they eventually traded him to the Cubs prior to the start of the 1982 campaign, the move sends the 51-year-old back to a Phillies organization that originally drafted him.
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